Glycerin 21 vs Magnify Nitro 3

The Brooks Glycerin 21 is a max-cushion daily training shoe built for one job: making your everyday miles feel soft, calm and comfortable. This is the plush end of the Brooks range, a neutral running shoe that leans into cushioning rather than speed. At 280g it is not light, and it will not snap you through a fast finish, but that was never the point. What you get is a deep, forgiving underfoot feel that holds up well over long easy runs and recovery days, and a 10mm drop that suits heel and midfoot strikers alike. We rate it as a dependable cruiser for runners who want protection and a smooth, quiet ride over anything sharp or racy. If the £165 price gives you pause, the cheaper Brooks Ghost 16 covers similar daily duty with a touch less plush. But if soft comfort is what you are after, the Glycerin delivers it honestly.

The Magnify Nitro 3 is Puma's big, soft, everyday max-cushion running shoe, and at £140 it undercuts most of the plush daily trainers it lines up against. This is the shoe you reach for on easy days, long runs and recovery miles when your legs want protection more than speed. The NITRO foam midsole is tall and forgiving without turning to mush, and Puma's PUMAGRIP outsole is genuinely excellent in the wet. At 287g it is not a light shoe, and you feel that on faster efforts, so treat it as a cruiser rather than a tempo tool. It runs neutral, with a 10mm drop that suits heel and midfoot strikers. In our view the real story is value: you get proper max cushioning and grippy, hard-wearing rubber for less than a Gel Nimbus 28 or Glycerin 22. If you want soft daily miles without paying £170, it belongs on your shortlist.